[1] The district takes its name from the historic Podil neighborhood which it includes within its boundaries.

The Podilskyi District as an administrative entity was formed in 1921 on one of the largest historical neighborhoods in Kyiv.

The district remains one of the main business, transport, and industrial areas of Kyiv.

Although most of the industrial sites are phased out of the region, they dominate the adjacent neighborhoods to the north, named today "Podilsko-Kurenivskiy promraion".

Distribution of the population by native language according to the 2001 census:[2] The Podilskyi District includes the following historical neighborhoods of Kyiv within its boundaries: The Podilskyi District is connected to the city's metro system by three stations on the Obolonsko–Teremkivska Line: Tarasa Shevchenka, Kontraktova Ploshcha (named after Kontraktova (Contracts) Square), and Poshtova Ploshcha (named after Poshtova (Postal) Square).